Pilgrim trio off to good start at UMass-Dartmouth

Posted
Thursday, September 26, 2013 1:00 pm

Brenden Soares

Good things come in threes, and a trio of recent Pilgrim graduates are proving that adage true on the soccer pitch at UMass-Dartmouth.

The ex-Patriot that has made the biggest impact so far is Talia D’Ambruoso. The forward has hammered home a pair of goals for the Corsairs, with her most recent effort helping UMass-Dartmouth turn a 1-0 halftime deficit into a 4-3 triumph over Wentworth last Wednesday.

Nicole Starkey has made only two appearances off the bench to date, but has made the most of her limited opportunities. Starkey notched her first goal at the collegiate level last Saturday in the second half of UMD’s 7-1 rout of Rhode Island College.

Defender Erica Hammond has played in three matches, starting the Sept. 8 encounter against the Coast Guard Academy and registering a shot on target in the match versus RIC.

The freshman triumvirate has helped the Corsairs attain a 4-2-1 record so far in 2013, with the UMass-Dartmouth eleven next in action this Wednesday against Mitchell in a non-league tilt before returning to conference action against UMass-Boston on Saturday.

Brown chipping in for high-powered Yellow

Jackets

Through three games, the American International College football team’s offense has averaged over 500 yards of total offense per game, and Hendricken product Matt Brown is doing his part to ensure that the Yellow Jackets’ high-powered attack keeps motoring along.

The senior wideout has caught a team-high 14 passes for 160 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown haul last Saturday in AIC’s 48-27 victory over conference rival Pace.

The previous week, Brown registered seven catches for 76 yards as both defenses took the day off in the Yellow Jackets’ clash against Merrimack.

With both teams combining for more than 1,300 yards of total offense, American International bested the Warriors 62-50, satiating the appetite of the touchdown-hungry crowd.

AIC has put its 21-14 season-opening defeat to East Stroudsburg in the rear-view mirror and is looking to extend its winning streak to three this Friday night as the Yellow Jackets take on Assumption, with the 1-2 Greyhounds looking to get back on track after going down 41-38 in overtime to Stonehill last week.

Padula earns conference honor at Colby

Former Hendricken standout Zach Padula was named the New England Small College Athletic Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Week after a key interception return for a touchdown in Colby’s win over Williams.

The interception came just before the half and went for 98 yards. Padula stepped in front of a receiver running a quick slant, avoided a tackle after making the pick and quickly got to the right sideline on his way to the end zone. He scored with 11 seconds left. The touchdown gave Colby a 19-0 lead, and kept Williams off the scoreboard when it was threatening.

Padula also was third on the team in tackles with six. A junior, Padula now has 63 career tackles and two interceptions.